Helping wild Atlantic salmon overcome man-made obstacles

In the days before electricity, barriers of all sizes were important for using a river’s energy to turn mill wheels and power all sorts of machinery. Many of these barriers are still present but most now serve no purpose, other than preventing salmon from making their journeys between the sea and freshwater

Wild Atlantic salmon can travel thousands of kilometres and encounter many hazards along the way before returning to its birth river in Ireland to spawn. Our rivers are heavily fragmented by weirs, dams, sluices, culverts, bridges and other artificial barriers

As if fish hadn’t enough to do to cope with polluted water in rivers, they also have lots of other man-made obstacles to deal with.

Think of the wild Atlantic salmon which can travel thousands of kilometres and encounter many hazards along the way before returning to its birth river in Ireland to spawn.